2024: A Year of Growth, Gratitude, and Unexpected Turns
In this year, there was joy. There was pain. But most importantly, there were lessons to be learned.
“What does success mean to you?”
These were the words that greeted my subconscious at 6am today, shortly before I woke up. I still question why I decided to start my morning with such a serious thought.
Perhaps, it is because the world is less than 48 hours away from entering a new year. Or, maybe it’s because I dread the age I turn next year, and I want to improve my fortunes. Or, perhaps, the most accurate reason would be peer pressure, and wanting to ‘document my life’ the way “Gen-Zs” do. If only I had a million naira for every time I heard that phrase this year.
Whichever reason it is, it is a question that continues to haunt me, even hours later. I have heard that everyone has their metrics for success. In January 2024, I had four key areas to define my success: friendship, career, family, and God, with growth, connections, visibility, and, oddly enough, failure as my metrics. If I could not succeed at a particular task, how else will I know I tried?
Fast forward to December 2024. I might probably rank my success as a 6.5/10. I made more connections with people both professionally and platonically. I kept in touch with friends and bonded more with family. Visibility and failure were on an all-time low and high respectively (according to my standards), but that doesn’t mean I was not able to compensate fully for them.
You might want me to explain more of these details, but I think you’ll find them boring and an absolute waste of your time, especially if you already follow my work or socials. Instead, I will share my top three lessons that I learned from 2024 in the key areas, and hope that they will be of some use to you.
Family
Your family are your biggest cheerleaders
Anyone who knows me well understands how important family is to me. However, I never fully realized the extent to which I was valued by my family until 2024. I can’t count the countless times my mother, father, brother, and even extended family members expressed pride in the stories I shared, even giving me nicknames like “Prof.” The genuine joy and admiration they displayed were so palpable, I felt I could almost touch it.
They are part of my driving force, constantly motivating me to keep going. While I certainly desire recognition from a wider audience, I certainly can’t deny the value of positive feedback from my ‘Day Ones.’ They are also honest to a fault, so I can trust to receive equal amounts of criticism as well as praise.
Parents are not superhumans
I almost forgot to add this lesson, but I had this tweet to remind me:
And it’s not just the moms. There are times when you don’t feel like forgiving both your parents for certain actions, as if they should be fountains of infinite wisdom and always know what to do. But it was in 2024 that my eyes opened to the reality that parents also have their flaws, their weaknesses, and their imperfections. I had many conversations with both parents this year about finances and life. These conversations have helped me understand the mistakes they made, and I’m able to forgive them a little more each day.
Now, I know there are exceptions to every rule. I do not excuse the flaws of deadbeat or abusive parents, parents that decided that their duties were a burden and abandoned the children they brought into the world. But if you had a regular parent that did (or even surpassed) what was expected as parents, then surely you can be kinder. Give them some grace, give them some space.
Sometimes, you need to love family from afar
Speaking of flaws, this might be a nice segue into the fact that at a certain age, becoming physically independent from your folks becomes an ever-living fantasy. Being a woman in her mid-twenties who still lives with family has me nearly losing my mind with the mechanics of existing in the same space with them. Your privacy is never yours, and your freedom is astonishingly limited. It is my wish to relocate and have my own space next year. Hopefully, come December 2025, I do not return to this article with tears and regrets. Amen.
Friendship
Some friendships have expiry dates
I think the best analogy to explain this is with canned or packaged goods. On the side of these products, you’ll find an expiry date that indicates the end of the product’s shelf life. After this date, the product is no longer considered safe for consumption.
It might sound harsh, but this is how I’ve come to understand friendship distance/breakups. I experienced three instances of this this year. While the first two were largely due to my own neglect of my duties as a friend, the last incident seemed to stem from the fact that we had simply grown apart, and were no longer the same people we used to be. Some people only form friendships with a specific purpose in mind and then drift away once that purpose has been fulfilled.
I don’t condemn this practice, but for my own sanity (and yours if you find yourself in a similar situation), I’ve learned to assess friendships and consider their potential longevity. Is this a lifelong connection, or is it likely to fade away eventually? Even if you choose to ignore this possibility, one outcome or the other will inevitably occur. Better to know your stakes early in the game.
Effort makes friendship eternal
Another nice segue. If there was a bitter lesson I learned from the friendship breakups, it’s that my 2025 calendar needs to make space for friends in my life. It could be calls, or daily texts, or even hangouts if they are in the country. Old friends will always be a part of your story, and new friends are additions in the circle of love. Keep them both close.
There can be unity in your differences
This year, I made some unique friendships with people I never thought I’ll ever talk to. From partygoers to queer people to even Muslims, the list is endless. Growing up in a staunch Catholic home can make you irritated with people who are typically not like you, but once you get to meet and experience people a bit more, you’ll begin to see little pieces of yourself in everyone. It usually shows in shared interests — music, films, books, or even the sense of humor. As they say, “united we slay, divided we get lost on the way.” Or whatever the kids call it these days.
Career
Employee rights are REAL. Insist on them
This was the biggest lesson I learned as a worker in 2024. While some may be lucky to find companies with great employer branding, others may find themselves in the pits of corporate hell with delayed salaries, poor communication, etc. If you are in the latter, do not take the humble way out by endurance. Every employer and employee are bound by a contract, which also states your entitlements. Stick to them, no matter what. If the situation gets out of hand, seek a legal advisor. There is also the Nigeria Labor Act of 2004 to learn more about the rights of an employee.
Leave a company better than you met it
At its core, this simply means leaving a positive legacy. The popular saying “whatever doing is worth doing well,” is a call to action to ALWAYS be excellent. Not poor. Not average. Excellent.
I am still a far cry away from embodying thorough excellence in my work, but as a rule, I make sure to always stay critical and judgmental about the work I do, even if everyone else says it’s good. Did I miss an ‘i?’ Did I dot my t’s? As much as possible, I always try to spot issues in my work and improve on them. Upscaling with resource materials, trainings, and courses also helps in building useful skillsets. It not only helps the company, it also builds your reputation as someone of great value.
Be inspired, not jealous
I am said to be many things, but being jealous is not one of them. I don’t even know how the emotion feels like. But earlier this year, I spoke with a successful friend in the media industry whose colleagues constantly showed signs of jealousy towards his progress in the workplace and I was amazed that this was even a thing.
If you hate the fact that a colleague is doing better than you, then why waste the energy on jealousy? Shouldn’t that spur you on to be better at your work? At the end of the day, jealousy is a worthless emotion that leads nowhere. Be inspired, and work with that inspiration. Remember: your only competition is you.
God
No achievement is mine. All the Glory is His
I saved the best for last with the ‘God section.’ A miracle happened in late 2024 when I was poached from my previous to current job, especially at the time it happened. I almost wanted to shout from the rooftops with excitement, but I still needed to be cautious about being too boastful. The same God that giveth, is the same God that taketh away just as fast. Be grateful, but not boastful.
Wait on the Lord HAPPILY
Isaiah 40:31 says,
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Waiting … ugh. I must say that it’s not my favorite thing to do. However, I am amazed at what people will wait for in the world, but who often will refuse to wait on God. This holiday, I have seen people stand in line for hours trying to watch a Funke Akindele movie. I have also seen people stand (and nearly kill each other) in long ATM queues for cash. It’s madness. Meanwhile, we refuse to wait on God. I have had to learn this lesson many times. I am a frequent flier within this course. I can’t help it. I just get in a hurry at times.
However, I am thankful for life for teaching me to slow down a little. While waiting is challenging, it is necessary. The wait is designed to bless us while the enemy would love for us to believe that it is designed to deprive us. We are all waiting on God to do something. As you wait, decide to approach it differently. Approach it through the eyes of one strengthening their faith. Change your perspective. You’ll be glad you did.
Have some date time with Jesus
This one can be the hardest, as I tend to prefer my physical dates to spiritual ones. However, I will be a fool if someone is doing all the work for me, and I can’t give Him some time in return. The few times I turned the pages of my Bible were some of the most ecstatic moments of this year. Reading certain portions of the Bible, (especially The Psalms), will have you feeling like a newborn: bright, energetic, ready for whatever the world throws at you, but most importantly, loved with the intensity of a thousand suns. You should try it sometime.
As we step into 2025, I hope you don’t just see the failures. I also hope you see the growth that happened to you in the midst of them. I hope you don’t have any regrets for the failed opportunities, but rather, have gratitude for what you gained. And I hope that for those whose lives took unexpected turns this year, you will find clarity, comfort, and love in the whirlwind. I am rooting for you.
With all my love,
ChiAmaka
Before you go…
I love to not only share my opinions, but great article/movie/podcast recommendations with my friends. It only feels right to now share them with a larger audience.
- Read: In My Head There is a Market by Temitayo Akinyemi, Some Seasons I Have Known by Kemi Falodun, The Power of Garcia Marquez by John Lee Anderson.
- Watch: The Six Triple Eight on Netflix, The Day After Tomorrow on Netflix (old movie, but still a gem), and Christmas in Lagos for some lighthearted laughs on Amazon Prime Video.
- Listen: Sweet Medicine by Immaculata Abba (Studio Styles) and What Now? With Trevor Noah on Spotify (or wherever you stream your podcasts).
